Starching-machine



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(No Model.)

l ST-ARGHING MACHINE. V

I Patented Feb. 16, 1897.v

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F.' HOFMEISTER. STARGHINGMAGHINE.

` No, 577,032. 'Patented Feb. 16, 1,897.

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(NoModel.) Y Lamm-.sheen 3. F. HOPMEISTER.

l STARGHING MACHINE. i 1510.571032; Pa,1-,enwdFeb.16,1897.

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(Murmel.) A f P. HUPMBISTER.

STARGHING'MAGHINE. y v 170.577,032. 7 Patented Feb. 16, 12;@7..y

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.manyartieles at once andin the quickest Fig. 2 isa plan View.

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UNITED YSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

FLORA HOFMEISTER, OF RACINE, IVISOONSIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 577,032, dated February 16, 1897. Application filed February 28, lSSlG. Serial No. 581,186. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ wtont t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, FLORA HoEMEIsTEE, of Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful* Improvement in Starching-Wlachines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in starching-machines adapted for spreading starch over articles to be laundered.

The primary object had in view is the provision of a Ymachine capable of being run by one operator, whereby. economy in labor is secured, and also capable of starching a great possible period, whereby economy in time is secured.

The invention :furthermore contemplates a construction which will effect a smooth and even starching without wrinkling or tearing the clothes.

W'ith the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the devices and parts or their equivalent-s as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation with parts broken away.

Fig. .5 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is adetail of the clutch mechanism on-an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a detail of the traveling carriage with the lid ele- Fig. 6 is a detail of the catch for the lid of the carriage and the releasing mechanism in conjunction therewith. Iiig. 7 isv a longitudinal section of the carriage, and Fig. S is a detail of the pipe which supplies the starch to the articles. Y

The frame of the machine is provided with `two longitudinal parallel beams S) 9, which aresupported by the standards or uprights l0. A supplemental frame 11 projects out laterally from one of the longitudinal beams i), and this YframeY is supported by means of standards 12 12. The supplemental frame is higher than the longitudinal beams 9, blocks 13 being interposed between the supplemental frame and 011e of said longitudinal beams.

Journaled in boxes 1l 14, fixed to opposite side" pieces of the supplemental frame, is a shaft 15. This shaft carries thereon a sprocket-wheel 16 and a toothed wheel 17.

around the intermediate fast pulley I9 and'` the crossed belt to and around the outer loose pulley 1S. Also journaled in other boxes 24 24, secured to-the auxiliary frame, is a shaft 25. This shaft has mounted thereon a large gear-wheel 2G, which meshes with the smaller gear `17 of shaft 15 and receives motion there from. One end of the shaft 25 extends laterally beyond the auxiliary frame to a point intermediate of the parallel beams il 9 and has mounted on its end a roller 27.

The numeral 2S indicates another shaft, one end of which is journaled in a box 29, attached to one of the standards 12, and the opposite end journaled in an upright beam 30. This shaft has loosely mounted thereon a. sprocket-wheel 3l, said sprocket-wheel connected with the sprocket-wheel 1G by means of a sprocket-chain This sprocket-wheel 3l has extending from opposite side faces thereof clutching-hubs 33 33'. The clutchhub 33 is provided at its outer odge with a series oi inclined teeth 34, while the edge ofV tative with the shaft, but have a longitudinal movement thereon, sliding on splines or feathers 3S 3S. The collar 36 is provided with a series of inclined teeth 36, which, when said collar is thrown longitudinally in one direction, are adapted to engage the teeth 34 of the hub 33, and the disk or collar 37 is provided 'with projections 37', extending from the face of the disk or collar and so positioned that when said collar or disk is thrown longitu' dinally toward the sprocket-wheel 31 said projections 37 are adapted to engage the angular recesses of the clutching-hub 33.

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The numeral 39 indicates a vertical lever fulcrumed upon. an arm 40. The upper end of this lever bears against an arm 41, which arm is provided with the notches 42 42. The lower end of lever 39 is pivotally connected to the outer end of a link 43. This link passes through an opening 44 in the upright 30 and its inner end is pivotally connected to a longitudinally-reciproeating arm 45, guided in hangers 46 46. This arm is provided at opposite en ds with depending forked portions 47 47'. The forked portion 47 engages an annular groove 48 in the clutch-collar 66, which groove is somewhat widerthan the fork, while the forked portion 47' engages snugly an annular groove 49 in the clutchcollar 37. A coiled springV 50 encircles the shaft 2S and is confined thereon between clutch-collar 36 and the journal-box 29. The end of shaft 2S is provided with a crank 5l, and to the end of this crank is pivotally connected the upper end of a pitman 52. The lower end of this pitman is pivotally connected to a pump-rod 53. This pump-rod reciprocates in a force-pum p 54.

Journaled in suitable boxes 55 is a transverse shaft 56. This shaft has ixedly mounted thereon driving-rollers 57 57, which are located beneath, but laterally distant from, the upper large roller 27. On one extremity of the shaft is fixed a gear-wheel 58, which meshes with the gear 26 and receives motion therefrom and thereby imparts rotation to the shaft 56 and the rollers carried thereon.

A series of small idle-rolls 59 are arranged along the lower edges of the beams 9, being journalcd in hangers 60,secured to said beams. These rolls serve as a support for a traveling carriage 61. This carriage is preferably of rectangular form, and its side pieces 62 62 are ad viscdly constructed of angle-irons, the horizontal portions of these angle-irons resting and traveling on the rolls 59. To these horizontal portions of the angle-irons are secured the side edges of the bottom 63 of the carriage.v This bottom is advisedly V-shaped in cross-section, and the two slanting portions extend to a central longitudinal opening 64. Transverse beams 65 extend from side to side of the carriage, and secured to these beams is a base-piece 66, said base-piece being of less width than the space between the side pieces of the carriage. Extending over this base-piece is a wire gauze or screen 67. This gauze or screen is secured at one end to the corresponding end of the base-piece and at its opposite end is wound upon a roller GS. This roller is formed with reduced ends or pintles, which are journaled in suitable brackets 69 69. One of these reduced ends is advisedly made angular in cross-section, so as to adapt a handle or crank to be fitted thereto for the purpose of turning` the roller.

v Vhen the roller is thus turned, it is evident that any slack or looseness in the screen may be readily compensated for. The roller has also mounted thereon a ratchet-wheel 70,

which is adapted to be engaged by a dog 71 for the purpose of holding the roller to adjusted position.

The upper portion of the traveling carriage consists of a hinged section 72. This hinged section is also advisedly of rectangular shape to correspond to the shape of the lower section, and it consists of a frame, preferably of angle-irons. The side pieces thereof should by preference extend up vertially some distance in order to prevent the starch from splashing over the -sides of the carriage. The angle-irons forming these side pieces have their horizontal portions projecting out laterally, as indicated bythe numeral 7 3. In case, however, the hinge section should not be formed of angle-irons a lug extending outwardly from one of the side pieces of the hinge-section may be provided, which will answer the purpose equally well, the purpose being to provide a projecting part capable of being engaged by the spring-catch, hereinafter referred to. This upper section of the carriage is hinged atthe points 74 74, and one of the side pieces is provided with one or more depending arms 75. To the lower end of each of these arms is connected a coiled spring 76, said spring extending transversely across the carriage and connected at its opposite end to the side piece of the lower portion of the carriage. This hinged section also carries longitudinally a screen 77, advisedly of Wire-- gauze, which when the section 1s thrown down lies just above the screen 67, with a slight space intervening. One end of screen 77 is secured to the end piece of the hinged section, while the opposite end is Wound about a roller 78, said roller provided with reduced ends or pint-les, which are journaled in brackets 79 79. One of these pintles or reduced ends is angular in cross-section, as in the case of the roller 68, to adapt a key, handle, or crank to be connected thereto for the purpose of turning` the roller, and thereby tightening the screen. The roller also carries a ratchetwheel S0, which is adapted to be engaged by a dog 8l.

In order to hold the hinged section in position when thrown down upon its hinges, I provide the spring-catch 82, hereinloefore referred to, which catch is secured to one of the side pieces of the lower section of the carriage and is provided at its upper end with a projecting lug, which is adapted to engage over the outwardly-extending projection 73 adjacent. In order to throw this catch out of engagement, I provide a pivoted lever 83, formed at its inner end with a cam S4, which cam, when the lever is turned up from the position shown in Fig. 6, is adapted to bear against the lug of the catch and throw said lug laterally out of engagement with the projection 73. The moment the catch is thus released the retractive power of the coiled springs 76, acting on the arm 75, will cause the pivoted section of the carriage `to be thrown upon its hinges.

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Secured to and projecting out laterally from one side of the carriage is a table 85, upon which may rest that portion of the article or garment which is not desired to be starched.

Running longitudinally along the sides of the lower portion of the carriage are rubber `packings 86 86'. These packings are advisedly mounted upon metallic base-strips 87 87. The hinged section 72 of the carriage is provided near its unhinged edge, on its under side, with a longitudinal tube 88, of rubber, leather, or similar material, which tube, when the hinged section is thrown down, is adapted to bear against the packing 86, and thereby provide a tight joint against any starch from the lower screen escaping over the side of the carriage'or running onto the table 85. The opposite packing 80 alone is quite suflicient to prevent the escape of starch from that side of the carriage.

The numeral 89 indicates a tank or vat for containing the starch. In order to keep the starch warm, and thereby prevent the same from hardening, I provide a circulation of steam through the tank. The steam passes through an inlet-pipe 89', which connects at its upper end by a branch pipe 90 with one end of aY U-shaped pipeV 91, which extends down into the tank. The opposite end of this U- shaped pipe connects with a steam-discharge pipe 92 by a branch pipe 93. The branch pipe 90 may be provided with a suitable valve 94 for cutting oit the supply of steam when desired.

The starchis drawn from the tank by means of the force-pump 54, which pump is connectedl with the tank by means of a system of pipes, (shown as consisting of the sections 95, 9o, and 97, the former extending into the tank.) From the force-pump leads another system of pipes, which is shown as consisting n4oi" the sections 98, 90, 100, 1-01, and 102. The

latter Vextends almost across the space between the parallel beams 9 and is located ad- -jacent to the `lower portion of the roller 27. The under side ofthis section 102 is provided 4-with an elongated slot 103 through which the starch may issue.

The force-pump, it will be understood, is an ordinary form of force-pump, being provided with the usual valve (not shown) for preventing the backf'low of the starch through the system of pipes leading to the tank. The pipe-section 98 is also provided with a valve 103 for cutting olf the flow of starch from the pumpwhen desired.

Extending upwardlyin opposite directions i from the receptacle or tank are troughs 104 104, the upper ends of said troughs being supported by hangers 105 105. These troughs vare arranged to be midway between the parallel beams 9, so as to be direct-ly beneath the bottom opening G4 of the carriage as said carriage is reciprocated.

The numeral 10o indicates a rockshaft which isl journaled tothe standards 12 or other suitable portion of the framework. This from this arm 109 and engage the lowerstrand of the straight belt 22. A coiled spring'113 is connected at one end to one end of the bracket 110 and at'its other end to a bracket 114, secured to the arm 109. The normal position of the belts is shown in Fig. 2, wherein the straight belt 22 is shown as passing around the intermediate fast pulley 19 and the crossed belt as passing around the outer loose pulley 18. Vhen now it is desired to shift the position of these belts against the retraetive force of the spring 113, foot-pressure is exerted on the lever 107. This will have the effect of turning the rock-shaft 1067 which in turn operates the arm 108, so as to cause its upper end to be thrust inwardly. This will cause a like movement of the horizontally-reciprocating arm 109, and as this arm carries the fingers 111 and 112, engaging the respective belts, it necessarily follows that the straight belt is shifted to the inner loose pulley 18 and the crossed belt to the intermediate fast pulley 19t The moment foot-pressure is removed from the lever 107 the contraction of the spring will automatically return the hori- Zontally-reciprocating arm 109 to its former position and thereby shift the belts back to the position illustrated in Fig. 2. f

In the practical application and working of my machine the hinged section of the traveling carriage is thrown up to the position illustrated in Fig. 5.. The articles or garments to be starched are now arranged upon the lower screen 67. In case of collars, cuffs, and like articles which are required to be starched throughout, these may be arranged upon the screen so as to practically cover the entire surface of said screen. In the case, however, of shirtwaists and other garments in which only the neckbands, sleevebands, &c., are required to be starched, only such portions are placed upon the screen, while the body of the garment is permitted to rest on the table 85. The upper hinged section is now turned down and secured by the spring-catch 82, as previously described. The articles will therefore be confined between the two screens 67 and 77. The vertical lever 39 is now released from the notch 42 and turned toward the lefthand end, Fig. 4, of the arm 41.v This will cause a Vmovement of the longitudinally-reciprocating arm 45 in a direction to remove its fork 47 from engagement with one of the side walls of the annular groove 48 of the clutching-collar 36. As this annular groove is considerably wider than the fork the coiled spring 50 will act expansively against the clutching-collar 36 and move the samel to- IIO IZO

ward the clutching-hub of sprocket-wheel 31, so as to cause the inclined teeth 36 of said collar to engage with the inclined teeth 34k of hub 33. The expansive power of the spring will cause the collar to retain this clutch position and the vertical lever 39 to remain in the position to which it has been thrown. As the collar 36 is splined to the shaft 23, and as the sprocket-wheel 31 is rotated by the sprocket-chain 32, this rotation is imparted to the collar 36, which collar in turn rotates the shaft 28, and said shaft in turn, through the pitman 52, operates the pump-rod 53 and causes the starch to be sucked up from the vat or receptacle through the system of pipes and to be discharged through pipe-section 102. Before the lever 39 is turned to the left in the manner just explained, however, the operator should move the carriage longitudinally toward the roller 27, so that the end of the carriage should be directly beneath the pipe 102, so that the starch discharged from said pipe shall fall immediately onto the upper screen 77. By pushing the carriage a little farther beneath the roller 27 it will be engaged by the rollers 57 57, which rollers Will act upon the carriage and cause almost the balance of its longitudinal movement in this direction to be completed automatically. It is obvious that as the carriage passes beneath the pipe 102 the starch is spread evenly over the entire surface of the screen 77 and passing through the meshes thereof is spread upon the articles to be starched and forced through said articles by means of the pressure-roller 27, acting against the resisting base-piece 66. The starch also passes through the meshes of the lower screen 67 and somuch of said starch which by pressure is forced laterally over the side edges of the screens is caught by the inclined bottom 63, and thence passes through the opening G4 of said bottom to the troughs 104 and thereby7 reconducted to the receptacle or tank. After the carriage has completed its longitudinal movement in the direction just indicated the operator then forces the same in a reverse direction by power applied to the lever 83. As soon as the carriage reaches the rollers 57 it is then actuated automatically for the greater portion of its remaining travel. In this reverse movement of the carriage the teeth 36 of the collar 36 slip by the teeth 34 of the clutchinghub 33, and consequently there is no rotation imparted to the shaft 28. No starch is therefore fed to the traveling carriage on its return movement.

Vhen the carriage is thrown forward, as first explained, it becomes necessary, in order that the rollers 57 shall operate thereon in a direction to continue the movement of the carriage` that the belts 22 and 23 be shifted from the positions shown in Fig. 2. This is accomplished, as v previously explained, loy pressure upon the foot-lever 107. After the carriage has completed its forward movement foot-pressure is removed from the lever 107, when of course the belts are shiftedV back 'to their normal position. On this reverse movement of the carriage the teeth 36' of the collar 3G will slip by the teeth 34E of the hub 33, and consequently no rotation will be imparted to the shaft 2S. It follows that with the adjustment of the lever 39 to the left, as described, no starch is discharged from the pipe 102 onto the traveling carriage, inasmuch as the force-pump is not operated. If, however, it is desired to also discharge the starch onto the upper screen as the carriage travels in its reverse direction, the lever 30 is thrown from its left-hand position over to the right-hand notch 42. This will cause a movement of the longitudinally-reciprocating arm 4-5 in a direction to throw the inclined teeth 3G out of engagement with the inclined teeth 34,; and the projections 37' of the clutch collar or disk 37 into engagement with the angular recesses 35 of the clutch-hub 33. The notch will cause the vertical lever 30 to be maintained in this position, and it is of course obvious that the shaft 23 is rotated by the engagement of the clutching sections 33 and 37', and consequently the pump is operated to effect the discharge of the starch on the reverse movement of the carriage.

In the position of the vertical lever 3U shown in Fig. l-that is, engaging the notch 42-the clutch-hubs of the sprocket-wheel 31 are out of engagement with the clutches of both disks or collars, and consequently no rotation whatever is imparted to the shaft 2S, and hence there is no discharge of the starch.

In practice, perhaps, before the articles or garments are placed in position beneath the hinged section of the carriage, it will be advisable to run the carriage several times beneath the st-arch-discharge pipe 102, so that IOO the screens may become thoroughly saturated with the starch.

Vhile I have in the foregoing specification specifically described certain details of construction, yet I do not wish to be thereby understood as limiting myself to these particular structural features, as it is obvious that various parts may be modified and changed without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as, for instance, the particular form of framework, that is, bot-h the su pporting-frame and the frame of the movable carriage, or the particular arrangement of the system of pipes toand from the forcingpump. All of these are minor points in construction.

The traveling carriage at opposite ends is advisedly provided with troughs 115, which form continuations of the bottom 63 of the carriage.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters` Patent, is-

1. In a starching-machine,the combination, of a frame, a carriage adapted to travel thereon, screens one above the other, and supand is ready to start on its reverse movement ported above the base-piece of the carriage,

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and adapted to receive a deposit of starch thereon, and a roller above the screens, adapted to bear on said screens, as the carriage is brought beneath said roller.`

2. In a starching-machine,tl1e Combination, of a frame, a carriage adapted to travel thereon, aroller above the carriage and adapted to bearthereon as the carriage isbronght beneath the roller, a starch tank or vat, a forcepump, a system of piping leading from the tank to the pump, a system of piping leading from the force-pump, and adapted for dis-l charging Ystarch onto the screen, a shaft, a connection between the shaft and the pumprod of the force-pump, asprocket-wheel loose on the shaft, said sprocket-wheel provided upon opposite faces with clutching hubs, clutching-collars splined on the shaft, and located upon opposite sides of the sprocketwheel, and means Jfor alternately throwing said clutching-collars into engagement with the clutching-hubs of the sprocketwheel, whereby, when one clutching-collar is thrown into engagement the starch is discharged only inthe travel oi' the carriage in one direction, and, when the other collar is thrown into engagement, theV starch is discharged in the travel ofthe machine in both directions, and when both collars are out of clutch, the discharge of starch is stopped.

3. In a starching-machine,the combination, with a frame, a carriage adapted to travel Athereon and consisting ot' two sections, each `of which is provided with a screen, and the upper section hinged to the lower section.

4. In a starching-machine,the combination, with a frame,of a carriage adapted to travel thereon, andconsisting ot' two sect-ions, each of which is provided with a screen, and the upper section hinged to the' lower section, a catch for holding the hinged section normally7 down, and means `for automatically opening the hinged section when the catch is disengaged.

5. In a starching-machine, the combination, with a frame, of a carriage adapted to travel thereon, said carriage consisting of two sections, each of which is provided longitudinally with a screen, and the upper section hinged to the lower section, a catch for normally holding the hinged section down, an arm depending from the hinged section, and a coiled spring having one end engaging the depending arm, and its opposite end engaging the opposite side piece of the lower section of the carriage.

, G. In a starching-niachine,the combination. with a frame, of a carriage adapted to travel thereon, said carriage consisting of two sections, each of which is provided with a screen, and the upper section hinged to the lower section, and packings running longitudinally of, and near to, the opposite side edges of the lower section.

7. In a starching-machine, the combination, with a frame, of a carriage adapted to travel thereon, said carriage consisting of two sections, each of which is provided with ascreen, and the upper section hinged to the lower section, a packing running longitudinally of, and near to, the side edge of the lower section, and a tubing running longitudinally of the under side of the upper section, said tubing adapted to bear against-the packing of the lower section, when the hinged section is turned down.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FLORA IIOFMEISTER.

lVitnesses:

S. LAFORTUNE, Jos." MURR. 

